Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-12-20
ALICE NEALEs CHRISTMAS CIV
ING.
M OLIVE DANA.

atA tiflsu-Vtit lthsh' ese"N ~"
try road., with cheerful loads. while the
city streets And crowded s'orr. ~ere
,hronssd with Christmas shoppers.
May Allen opened the door of MD.
Neale'. nea, kiieh-n .nd stepped 10.
though the room had no inmate and the
house seemed ,,ill.
Come in." clear voice said. from
room beyond IL saw you coming dorn
the stree; with your ~cik. didn't look
for you to-day; though, you'd be sleigh
riding ba, mother Is out. sad I'm alone
and very glad 10 zee you I've oaly a
bi, mote ~rihng 10 do; then l'll ss' my
work sni be sociabls.'
"Oh. keep on with your wti,ins. Alice.
aud don; mind me. ,eOgld have been
.lsishing. ba, for the thing, I've got 10
DO and tinish. The frat OF the season.
ADD |, can, las, loag. Rob .ay'. Hut
this ,able-spresd for mother is - much
work, and | can, work evening. on u.
the shade. bother 90. And you know l
only decided on |, week ago Then
there. Aunt NslI's ioile,-ss, snd Aunt
Lizzie'. DOYLE. jus, cssun. and tidy
for M-. Hayden. aud I've thought OF
three OF foar reop.e whom ] should like
10 remember. only can, afford 10 buy
and haven', time TO make anything more.
81 should think tot. returned Alice
Ne.le. a, she closed her desk snd took
up. from the depth, Of her wo'k.bs'k,'.
(. fne. heavy. knitted skin. no, quit.
completed. And the fingers few Will,
ioasue. wsr. busy. with occasional slarm'
lea. some one should inruds. ~iihoa,
warning. on their privacy.
"Now, there are the 0llleit girls. re-
.umsd May. "ns,, house to Us. There
are ioar Of them. and they 10 TO our
church. and they haven't much 10 spend
or wear. II had time. | could make
them hoods. OF mi,,en'. or round esPe'.
or something Of the sort. useful and P'e''
~. II had only been thinking soou,
these thing. beforehand! ! believe III
begin the dr, day Of January 70 ge,
ready for Christma. mex, year. Nov. l
suppose you've provided present, for bali
the poor children aud Ionesom- folks and
aged people and people no one else viii
remember. In town. know you OF old.
Coaie.., now. ,hA, you have esoush
gifts TO fll . modera,e-siEsd tree already.
"Oh, no! ,hink l do no. make s
many presents ~ mOs, people.
"Ba, yoa make them where most peo.
pie would not. and the cheapest OF them
have q fitness that most Of our things
never do. Really. Alice. ! wish you
would tell US how % manage.
IL don, .psud very much on my gifts,
responded Alice. 81 cannot
"AIsbel Ray says they're no, going to
give anything to each other. st their house
,hi. year. They've agreed to give II to
III. hospital. And friend in Lawrence
write. me Of dsvo,ing what she usually
spend. a, the holidays to another ehsri'
w."
"Yes; mother and | were speaking OF
,ueh plans only yesterday. II one bad
money to spend. !, would. perhaps. be
good way. Ba, We don't spend enough
70 count very much anywhere. And,
sometimes, I think some giits-whief
have no look Of aims. giving. aud are foi
those who would be quick to detect any
condeseension-are charities, kindnessss,
duties. a, real as any benefse,iOn kno"
Of"
al knew you were planning such sifis
know las, year where some oil ycu'
.,houghts went. And II l can be work
ing = little in the summer and fall. Al
well a. from Thanksgiving to Chri','
mas day. and IL can learn some OF Joa
Ways. Ill be better prepared. too, ano'he
year"
"If you'd really like to see soms oi m,
little ,hinks." Alice said. after minute
.,hsy are right here" And she unlock
cd = deep drawer jus. beneath her desk
"This," she said. taking out small
crimson covered book. 10 for sn invslit
friend. You have heard me speak o
lena Burton. /. She has spinal disease
i. very closely confined to the house, an'
much Of the time TO her chair. Siea
dear girl! She hasn't been TO chaies
for fifteen years; ns-er sxpects to s.
again. she says lalways think OF be
Sundays. and 90. months ago ] bssa'
this. Ihave written Scripture passage
= paragraph or two. somstimss more
from some nice, favorits sutbot--soms
times scattered thoughts I've seen-one
or twice somsthing I've been thinking o
And some lovely little devotion nal poem
such a. Fsbsr, or Bonsr. or MeDonsld
OF Lucy L,rcom. or Mrs. sangstsr. Q
Whittier. has written. for every Sands
in the year. See. have dated iher
carefully. and given authors. when pos
sib!e, and I've chosen the most sugses